This is Pronzini's second appearance here.
Brevity is not an obstacle to greatness in a short story, but it sure can make it hard to write a review that doesn't give away the store. This story is under 2,000 words so I won't have much to say about it, good as it is.
Henry Boyd's life changed forever when a moment of his own carelessness destroyed his family. He hoped to be sent to prison but the courts thought otherwise. He can't face the thought of suicide so now he walks through the night, hoping some criminal will do to him what he lacks the courage to do to himself.
Instead, what happens is... See? This is where I have to stop. But the last sentence is sheer poetry.
